


Her Cardigan

by Kahlan_Amnell



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-09
Updated: 2012-01-09
Packaged: 2017-11-06 21:41:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/423563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kahlan_Amnell/pseuds/Kahlan_Amnell
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The sense of smell or touch can trigger memories. Reid comes across something in his closet that reminds him of the past.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Her Cardigan

**Author's Note:**

> Set sometime in season three.  
> Spoilers for The Fisher King parts I and II, Revelations.  
> Wardrobe references: The Fisher King part I, Fear and Loathing (ignoring appearances in Natural Born Killer, Poison, and A Real Rain because I plain forgot it was in those episodes too).  
> Warning: allusions of drug use as a result of the events in Revelations.  
> 

The more things change, the more they tend to stay the same. Spencer Reid knew there was a grain of truth to that. No matter how many years it's been, the winters in Virginia were harsh and bitterly cold. He still wore sweater vests and cardigans year round, sometimes even a cardigan in addition to a sweater vest.

And yet, on that day, it wasn't enough. He rifled through his closet for another cardigan to put on, one that would be big enough to wear on top of all the other layers of clothing. There was one that stood out to him, particularly due to the memories associated with the garment. His slender fingers caressed the soft material as he went to carefully lift it from the hanger.

Reid held it up in front of him, holding it almost reverently, and thought back to the last time he had donned the cardigan. He hadn't been doing well then, battling against the demons that threatened to overwhelm him. It was the case in Westchester County, shortly after the horrors he had experienced at the hands of Tobias Hankel. Fortunately, there were other, positive memories associated with it.

Putting it on, he reflected on the time he had his mother taken into protective custody. He had feared for her safety as soon as he had realized the UnSub had known her, feared that he would go after her. He tugged the collar up, snuggling into the cardigan. He remembered the relief he felt when the agents saw her safely to the BAU offices, and the guilt over aggravating her paranoia by having the local field office send agents to escort her. There was also pride—pride at hearing Garcia's words, and that Diana had helped save Rebecca Bryant's life. Though he feared that one day he'd develop schizophrenia, he was still proud to be her son.

* * *

After the case, he had flown with his mother, taking her back to Bennington Sanitarium. And since the team still had their vacation time left, he spent the rest of it with her. They took turns reading to each other, including the volume of Margery Kempe he had initially brought with him at the start of his leave.

While she had several good days during that time, there had also been some bad ones. On those days, he wished for nothing but the ability to make everything better, to have his mom well again. When Diana was well enough to receive visitors again, he felt compelled to be the perfect son; holding to the irrational hope that his love and support would keep her grounded. It had included letting her fuss over him—that he needed to take care of himself better. Things that every mother tells their children, such as his eating habits, though he managed to evade promising to cut back on his coffee intake.

Near the end of his vacation, Reid and his mom had taken a walk on the sanitarium grounds after a few rounds of Scrabble. Being the gentleman she had raised him to be, he had offered his arm. While they had strolled along a tree-lined path, they talked about his 'adventures' and the syllabus she was reworking for the next set of lectures.

On the way back inside, Diana had halted in her steps, causing her son to turn and look at her quizzically. Before he was able to say anything, she gave him a stern look, prompting him to snap his mouth shut, teeth clicking together.

"Spencer, I'm really, really proud of you. Don't ever forget that. It scares me, the work that you do. But I know how important it is to you.  _You_  make a difference to so many people. But you need to take better care of yourself." He opened his mouth to protest, but she didn't let him speak up. "No, I'm your mother. I  _know_ , Spencer. Come with me."

They had gone back to her room, and once there, she had directed Reid to sit down. As she rummaged through her dresser and closet, she told him bluntly, "You're too thin." She muttered something, but he didn't ask her to repeat it. Diana turned and studied him for a second. "You need to take better care of yourself. You're precious, special." Resuming her search, she added, "The weather in Virginia isn't like what we get here. You can't be too prepared for anything."

Having found what she was looking for, she walked over to him, and draped a taupe-coloured cardigan across his shoulders. At his furrowed brow, Diana took a finger and, placing it under his chin, tipped his head back so that he would meet her gaze. "You shouldn't be surprised, Spencer. A mother knows things." She gave him a knowing look, and he smiled, grateful for moments like that when his mom was being motherly.

"Thanks mom. I love you."

"I love you too, baby. There's still time before dinner. Why don't we read some Chaucer until then?" At his nod, she plucked a few tomes from a shelf. Together, they settled themselves on the couch and took turns reading to each other.

* * *

Reid rubbed his arms, trying to warm himself faster. He went over to his desk and set out to write a letter to his mom.

_Dear Mom,_

_You were right. I'm thankful for your insight and wisdom. The superintendent hired a repairman to fix the furnace, but with the seasonal demand rising, we're waiting for the work order to be processed and they can send someone over. Don't worry—Morgan brought over a space heater. It'll only be for a couple of days._

_I'll give you a call on our usual day, if work doesn't get in the way. I miss hearing your voice. And I have a new joke to tell you. Emily shared it with me. And the other girls told me to say hi to you for them. I'm still not entirely sure why, but I thought it was nice of them._

_I mentioned David Rossi before, and that he came out of retirement. But why he did it? Well, it's a bit of a long story…_


End file.
